Results tagged “Maddie Friedmann”

Seeking its first win over a top-10 team since 2009, Ole Miss took a 1-0 lead but fell short to No. 10 Texas A&M, 2-1, Sunday afternoon.

"I'm really happy with the team's performance," head coach Matt Mott said. "I'm certainly disappointed we didn't get a result today but certainly very happy with how hard the team played and battled."

Junior defender Maddie Friedmann gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead with a header goal in the 62nd minute off a corner kick. Freshman Courtney Carroll sent the corner into the box and and junior midfielder Jessica Hiskey got her head to it before Friedmann found the back of the net.

Ole Miss held a 1-0 advantage before Texas A&M found the equalizing goal in the 72nd minute and then the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute.

Those were the only two blemishes on an otherwise excellence performance from senior goalkeeper Kelly McCormick, who made eight saves against an Aggie attack that finished with 23 shots and 10 shots on goal.

"The second one, I was disappointed with myself, because it was a really close angle," McCormick said. "I don't think she should have scored that one. I kind of hold myself accountable for that."

"She's an excellent goalkeeper and has been doing really well all year," Mott said. "I hate it for her because she played really well. All of the guys in the back played great. They all battled like crazy."

Ole Miss had multiple chances to tie the match in the closing seconds after sophomore forward Sara Coleman drew a foul just outside the box. The Rebels fired two shots off the post but couldn't find the back of the net, as Texas A&M escaped with the win.

"It was a great shot by Addie (Forbus) on the free kick," Mott said. "It looked like it was going in. It hit the post and dropped straight down. We had people there and just couldn't get it in the back of the goal. That was definitely a crazy sequence and tough to watch when it doesn't go in.

"It was kind of like a pinball game," Friedmann said. "You're head is whipping around trying to figure out where the ball is going. I could have sworn that it was going in. I felt it hit off me. They had four or five girls on the line and managed to get it out. It was unfortunate, but sooner or later, we're going to catch the right bounce."

After playing 110 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Georgia on Friday night, Ole Miss responded with a gutsy 1-0 win over Iowa State on Sunday afternoon. The defense, led by senior goalkeeper Kelly McCormick was the story of the game.

Ole Miss limited Iowa State to just five shots, while McCormick posted her 18th career shutout and scored her first career goal on a penalty kick in the 24th minute.

"I didn't know I was going to be the first one called, but coach knows I have been practicing a lot on my PK's," McCormick said. "I was kind of praying to myself that he wasn't going to call my name but he did, so I went out there and gave it my best shot."

In club soccer, she played half in the goal and half in the field as an outside midfielder or a forward. She joked that she didn't score a lot but instead helped set up her teammates, so it was a nice moment for the school's all-time wins leader as a goalkeeper.

"We have been doing them in practice, and she looks great at it," head coach Matt Mott said. "She's a senior and been taking them for four years. We had her in our (penalty kick) group at the end of the year last year. She looks great in practice and stepped up. She's a winner."

The back line of juniors Maddie Friedmann, Jessica Hiskey, sophomore Melissa Capocaccia and freshman Courtney Carroll kept things relatively clean in front of McCormick, whose biggest test was a cross into the box late in the second half, which she punched away.

"I'm so proud of the back line," McCormick said. "They have done a tremendous job. They have made my job a lot easier. I honestly didn't have to do much because they were working very hard preventing through balls and crosses from happening."

Mott has already moved sophomore Gretchen Harknett, who started all 24 matches at right back last season, into a more attacking role in the midfield, and it's his hope to also move Hiskey into a similar role in the midfield as the season progresses.

"They were really composed," said Mott of the back line. "The four of them are really starting to gel together. We're getting Sam Sanders some good minutes now too and that will only help us going forward. We get her back in there and get Jessica (Hiskey) moved back into the midfield. I'm very happy with those guys. They played 200 minutes and didn't give up a goal in running play. That's a good weekend."

Senior forward Mandy McCalla, who earned All-SEC honors from the coaches and tied for the conference lead with 13 goals and 33 points last season, will wear the captain's armband for the Rebels this season.

"She's a leader for us," head coach Matt Mott said of McCalla. "She understands completely what we're trying to do, and how we're trying to do it. I trust her and believe in what she does. She brings the best out of everybody. She demands it out of herself first, then her teammates next. That's what you want in a leaders, and the girls absolutely respect her."

McCalla tied for the conference lead in goals and points with her teammate, senior Rafaelle Souza, and they are two of six seniors on the team.

"We have a good senior class that is going to carry us," he said. "We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores, but we have a strong senior class. You win with seniors, and we have six seniors."

Defense First

As the Rebels prepared for their season opener, at home, against Louisiana-Lafayette at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 23, Mott said the first emphasis will be on the back line.

"The good thing is we're starting out further along than we ever have, so we're starting a higher level," he said. "We've got to get our defensive game plan and figure out who we're going to play in the back because we have some options. I think we always want to put in the defense first.

"We're going to score goals with Mandy and Rafa, and Bethany Bunker and Olivia Harrison all returning, and the new guys, we're putting in Addie Forbus and Mackenze Parma. We're going to score goals. We got to get sold defensively first."

A trio of sophomores -- Maddie Friedmann, Jessica Hiskey and Samantha Sanders -- started all 22 games as freshmen, and they all return to anchor the back line for the Rebels, along with junior goalkeeper Kelly McCormick who started all 22 games in goal and posted eight shutout victories last season.

"That, to me is exciting going into this season that we have all of those guys back," he said. "The whole back line is back, and you have Kelly in goal, who will be a junior now. Those guys who are sophomores have a full year under their belt and they look great."

It's great to be a Rebel fan. Coach Freeze
Has brought back the excitement
Competitiveness we all so desire. The
fan base and even our doubters are
Paying attention. Even the whole country
Sport tLk shows ect. Are taking notice.
After we upset Alabama this weekend
38-27 we will bolt to a top 12 or better
Ranking. Go Rebels

I am not and never have been an Ole Miss fan. I am however a Coach Freeze fan. I like what he represents in today's world of big time sports and what he stands for in leading young men of today into a more responsible role. He is everything that Ole Miss has never had. I am on his band wagon winning or losing.